German School, circa 1610

This very interesting panoramic hunting scene depicts 'une chasse aux toiles' in which lengthy canvas screens were used to lure and trap the boar into an area in which it could be killed. In this particular scene, the artist leads the viewer through the stages of the hunt where spectators gather to watch the event unfolding. The dogs are wearing spiked coats which were for their own protection against attack from the boar. At the time of the 2011 sale, Marie-Christine Prestat of the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, Paris, kindly provided us with details about this type of hunt, which was practised in central and eastern Europe and Flanders during the early 17th century.

This sheet has perhaps been taken from an album, as the action unfolds over two joined sheets of paper. The artist has devoted a great deal of attention to the details of the narrative, using gold heightening in the scattered fires and the horses' bridles. The style is reminiscent of scenes of courtly life or depictions of the seasons or the months, and harks back to traditions of manuscript illumination and the International Gothic style.